Attempts to revive a more traditional Mayday in London, allied with 'Reclaiming the Streets', began in 1999 and got off to a good start. Following police clampdowns in London from 2001 onwards, however, numbers celebrating Mayday in the streets have dwindled from several thousand to less than a hundred, not counting the quite separate State authorised workers' march to Trafalgar Square. Another fact which reduces numbers is whether the 1st May falls on a working day or not.

So, the May Fayre in Mayfair event did not hold out a lot of promise, especially as many police also attended, with the usual stop and searches, surveillance cameras and sheep pen. Surprise though, people were allowed in and out of the pen, a break from normal police tactics and there seemed to be no arrests. Unauthorised celebrants were actually allowed to dance in the streets, have a Maypole, juggle, act, drink in public and generally live it up. No attempt was made either to silence or confiscate the sound systems, another break with recent police enforcement.

All in all a very fun day and thanks to the sound system guys for chancing your equipment and giving the dancers and kids a good time and to the Space Hijackers for making it possible.

Just to correct Doug a little, the police may well have been present but at no time did they form a 'cordon' around us, and we were never put under any 'section'. Most of the coppers were good humoured and it was most amusing to see them having to stiffle their urge to dance, tap heir feet to the music and grin manicly.... ( I caught many smiling). All in all an extreemly successful and peaceful street party.

The police formed lines across access roads and paths to the square and could easily have prevented people from leaving had they chosen to do so, especially if everyone had decided en mass to march from there across Mayfair. But as you say it was mostly good humoured and it was indeed a successful and peaceful street party.